Tobias Moeller-Bertram Research Lab

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Results of Research Lab

There is clear evidence that an overwhelming stressor can induce lasting pathological changes in the body’s stress response including the hypothalamic-pituitary adrenal axis, as well as the sympathetic nervous system and the immune system

In susceptible individuals, such a stressor, can induce Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)

Altered pain thresholds and high co-morbidity of pain and chronic pain syndromes have been shown in PTSD in multiple publications

Increased levels of SP and IL-6 in cerebrospinal fluid of PTSD subjects have been found

This means that we now have objective quantifiable measures of physiological parameters in PTSD patients

Little is known about the mechanisms connecting altered stress systems and pain

Studies in this lab will utilize the intramuscular pain model established by Dr. Wallace to measure the evoked pain response in subjects with combat related Post Traumatic Stress Disorder in comparison to controls

Evaluations include simultaneous QST testing in response to peripheral stimulation, longitudinal CSF collection for neurotransmitter measurements and fMRI utilization targeting areas of overlap for PTSD and the pain circuit

In collaboration with other members of the training grant, (Drs. Patel, Yaksh, Roth and Schulteis), a rodent model
of PTSD and pain testing is in process of being developed, which will allow for the same evaluations, QST testing,
CSF measurements, and fMRI evaluation to further elucidate underlying mechanisms